Vana'diel Holiday Journal
by Jonnykins
Summary: Mort is a Tarutaru in an unforgiving world. Can the little Black Mage survive the perils that await him?
1. Cat Like Thief

_**Vana'diel Holiday Journal**_

**Disclaimer:**

**I do not own, nor have I ever owned, any of the characters featured in this fanfic other than Mort, who I play as on the Unicorn server of Final Fantasy XI. All other characters mentioned are property of Square-Enix or their respective players. All locations mentioned are property of Square-Enix. All creatures mentioned are property of Square-Enix. Similarly, all items and equipment mentioned are property of Square-Enix.**

Windhurst. Famed the world over for it's peaceful society and beautiful scenery, Windhurst is the sole city of the Mindarta Continent.

Founded by the child-like Tarutaru, the city is home to possibly the best mages in Vana'diel. Early in it's history, Windhurst attracted the wandering tribes of Mithra, skilled cat-like hunters, to it's gates. The two species, Tarutaru and Mithra, now live side by side in a spirit of mutual co-operation and peace.

Taking his first steps in the world of Vana'diel, a young Taru named Mort enters the area known as Windhurst Woods through the Leviathan Gate, which leads to East Saurutabaruta.

The first resident to spot Mort as he enters the city is a Mithra, Nanaa Mihgo. Always the friendly helping hand, Nanaa approaches Mort and offers her services.

Gratefully accepting her generous offer, Mort soon learns about Windurst and the surrounding lands.

The city is surrounded by a large grassy plain known as Sarutabaruta. To the North West is a mountainous maze known as Giddeus. This is the home of the Yagudo, a bird-like species of Beastman. In recent years, representatives of Windhurst have been trying to establish a peace treaty with the Yagudo. To the North lies Tahrongi Canyon, a large, dusty plain in the mountains, and home to the Wild Dhamel, which, when tamed, are prized cattle for Windhurstians.

After Nana Mihgo finishes explaining this, she suddenly demands a "tutor fee." 1,000 gil. When Mort refuses to pay (his current balance being a measly 0 gil), Nanaa Mihgo begins to threaten the young Taru and advances on him.

Before she can carry out her threats, however, the Star Onion Brigade (S.O.B) comes to the rescue! Outnumbered, Nanaa Mihgo retreats, exclaiming "I would have gotten away with it, if it wasn't for you meddling kids!"

Shrugging off the encounter, Mort turned around and entered East Sarutabaruta to begin his quest.

Upon entering Sarutabaruta, the first thing Mort spotted was a Bumblebee. A quick check later, he decided that the bee should make a decent challenge for his first battle, so he drew his staff.

Adrenaline pounded through his veins at the thought of battle, and he wasted no time in casting his only spell, Stone, with a cry of "Eat dirt, Bumblebee!"

Angered by the rocks slamming into it's underside, the bee moved in for the attack, and Mort soon found himself fighting desperately with his staff, throwing in the occasional Stone spell to help turn the tide.

After a couple of minutes, it was all over. Exhausted, Mort sat down on the wet grass and rested, recovering both his physical energy and his mana, in preperation for the next battle.

Examining a nearby Tiny Mandragora revealed another decent challenge, so Mort, fully rested, stood up and moved in for the kill. The battle was just as furious as the last one, and Mort had to rest again afterwards.

And so it continued, the little Tarutaru fighting and resting, and fighting and resting, until he felt his power increase suddenly. More mana was flowing through him than ever before, and he soon realised he had just attained the phenomenon known as Level 2.

Mort continued to battle, the fights easier now than they were before, his experience and skill improving with each kill.

Eventually, however, things went wrong. One of the enemies, another Tiny Mandragora, used an ability called Photosynthesis, and began to regenerate it's health. Having already used, all of the available Mana energy, there was little Mort could do but hit the creature with his staff. The attacks were ineffective, and it soon became clear that he would die of he didn't do something quickly.

Abandoning all semblance of pride, Mort disengaged the creature and called for help, before turning tail to run.

Just before he reached town, a Galkan Warrior called Slansh drew his Rusty Great Sword and attacked the Tiny Mandragora, killing it in three powerful strokes.

Thanking the stranger profusely, Mort sat down and rested his weary self. Once rested, Mort stood and continued his battling, killing anything he thought he could take, whilst avoiding more difficult enemies such as Yagudo and Crawlers, until he hit Level 3.

At this point he went back to Windhurst, and made his way to the bustling Auction House, busy even in the dead of night, and the essential trading platform for all adventurers, the Auction House even had supplies for new, low level travelers like Mort.

First, Mort put two Pots of Honey, obtained from the Bumblebees, on auction for 150 gil each, before searching the magic scrolls section for black magics. Soon, he managed to obtain a Scroll of Blind for a paltry 40 gil. After teaching himself the magic, Mort did his trademark Tarutaru Panic Dance to celebrate, a favourite among adventurers the world over.

**Next time on Vana'diel Holiday Journal;**

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**What happens when a Mithran Samurai decides to show off her skills?**

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**Can Mort survive the perils of the Horutoto Ruins for Star Sybil and Country?**

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**What happens when a Tarutaru gets mugged by two Yagudo?**

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**Stay tuned!**


	2. The Horutoto Ruins

_**The Horutoto Ruins**_

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Mort checked the Yagudo Initiate carefully. _Decent Challenge,_ he thought to himself, _the perfect target to test Blind._

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Gripping his staff tightly in both hands, Mort concentrated hard on the Mana energy flowing through his body, shaping it to his will. Once he was satisfied with the spell in his mind, he set it loose on the Yag before charging into the attack, hitting the beastman as hard as he could in the stomach, the highest place he coul reach.

Nimbly dodging the Yag's first attack, Mort cast his offensive spell, Stone, dealing huge damage as large chunks of rock struck the birdlike creature from underneath.

Mort's second cast was interrupted as the Yagudo plowed it's fist into his head, follwing up with a second punch to the stomach. Fighting desperately, Mort unleashed his Weapon Skill attack, Heavy Swing, catching the Yag in the groin area. As the Yagudo Initiate recoiled from the pain, Mort cast another Stone spell, then watched as the creature was battered to death by the flying chunks of rock.

While he was resting, he recieved a /tell message from his lifelong friend, Korban. The word "Poke" reverberated around his head, carried to him via the unnatural, inexplicable phenomenon that carried thoughts from adventurer to adventurer.

"Hiya, hows you? he replied, the thoughts in his mind being transmitted magically across some vast distance."

"I'm good. I'm in Windurst, where are you?"

"I'm leveling in East Saruta."

"Cool, I'll be right there, I wanna show off my armour."

"Okies, I'll wait for ya then."

A few minutes later, Mort saw a Mithra running towards him. As soon as he realised it was Korban, he stood up and waved to him, welcoming his friend joyously.

"Hiya," he said, the /tell system no longer needed. "Nice equipment."

Korban was wearing a white top, made of several strips of cloth laid over each other in a criss-cross pattern, and full length Samurai trousers. She had a hairpin in her shoulder-length blonde hair, and a Great Katana hung by her side.

"Watch this," she said, grinning. She drew her Great Katana, gripping it in both hands, and selected a target. She chose a Crawler, a large, yellow insectoid creature that resembles a giant caterpillar, a creature that Mort couldn't even hope to kill yet.

Activating her special Samurai ability, Meditate, Korban ran towards the Crawler and used her now heightened abilities to begin a Skill Chain, multiple weapon skills used in a short space of time for boosted damage.

The Katana was engulfed in flames for a couple of seconds, in which time Korban struck the Crawler, felling it in a single deadly blow.

Laughing at the little Taru's stunned look, Korban asked if Mort wanted any help to do the first Windurst mission.

"That would be great thanks!"

"Ok Mort, you go and get your mission from that Mithra, while I just nip to the AH for something quick," Korban instructed the Taru, running down a nearby path.

Slightly nervous at the sight of this strange cat-woman, Mort approached Rakoh Buuma tentatively.

"You arrrrrre an adventurrrre, rrrright?" she asked in her purring voice.

"Yeah........"

"Would you carrrre to help out yourrrrr country?"

"Anything I can do to help, I will," replied Mort.

"Grrrreat! Windurst will remember yourrrrr gallant contrrribution!"

Rakoh then proceeded to explain the mission. She told Mort that one of the Windurst ministers was conducting a magical experiment, and had requested an adventurer to aid him. She also told him that he was to report to the Opastery in Port Windurst right away.

By the time the explanation was finished, Korban was stood behind Mort, along with a suprise guest. Slansh, the Galka Warrior who had saved Mort's life previously, also wanted to do the mission, and Mort and Korban soon agreed to allow him to join the party also.

Just before they headed off to Port Windurst, Korban presented Mort with a "gift." A magic staff that would increase his abilities. Unfortunately, he wasn't strong enough to use it yet, so he instead made a detour to the Residential Area on the way to the port and left the staff in the care of his house keeper, a Moogle named Moogle, just like all the others of his race.

Upon reaching the Opastery, the party discovered that the minister had grown tired of waiting for a suitable adventurer, and had headed off to the East Horutoto Ruins by himself.

Within ten minutes, the party were at the entrance to the ruins. "Keep way behind me while we're in here," Korban instructed the others, "I'll kill all the Gobs so they don't kill you two." Agreeing that this was a sensible plan, the Taru mage and the Galka warrior followed the Mithra samurai into the ruins.

The Horutoto Ruins were cold, damp and dark. Footsteps echoed off the stone walls, floor and ceiling a hundred times before settling down in some remote, shadowy corner, never actually fading completely.

Bat's flew freely around every room, and there wasn't a single adventurer in sight, other than the other members of Mort's party. Korban led the way as they navigated the endless passageways, killing the occasional Goblin with one fell stroke from the Great Katana.

After nearly an hour of wandering the same passageways over and over again, Korban finally noticed what she was looking for. A thin, but perfectly vertical, crack was in the wall, cutting right through the middle of some stones. It was too straight to be natural erosion, so the obvious conclusion was that it had been constructed that way.

Always the expert in such things as secret passageways, having started life as a theif, Korban pressed an innocent looking stone and watched in satisfaction as the door in the wall grinded open.

"Nearly there now," she informed her two fellow adventurers, as she entered the new passageway. At the end of the corridor, however, were two goblins. Korban drew her Katana and charged one of them down, but the second one was already attacking Mort.

Desperately, the tiny Black Mage began casting Stone on his aggressor, but he was no match for the hardened Goblin, and one more attack with the knife was all Mort could take. Defeated, his body drained of all energy, he slumped on the floor and lay there, unconscious. Enraged by the defeat of his comrade, Korban charged down the Goblin and sliced it sharply across the face, killing it outright in a single stroke.

**There, got some drama at last. **

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**I'm dead, whats gonna happen next?**


End file.
